I've imported a single title from a finalized DVD-R (created on my Pioneer DVR 5100). The video is 1hr 16mins.
WS2 has automatically split this into 4 separate titles. Why? Is there a way to stop this? I want to set my own title and chapter breaks where they are appropriate.
Some of the DVD is a music concert and then an interview and of course the automatic title splits are right in the middle of these - exactly where I DONT want them! There seems to be no way of re-joining them either.
I hope its possible to turn this auto feature off otherwise its a huge let down of an otherwise great piece of software.
In the user manual of DVD WorkShop 2 you will find the following instructions:
"Using Split by Scene
Split by Scene divides DV into multiple files or clips based on recording date and time or frame content. This feature is useful when you have several video sessions recorded on the same DV tape at different times and you want to separate them into different clips.
To use Split by Scene on DV files:
1. Load the DV AVI or MPEG file into the Video Library.
2. Right-click its thumbnail then select Split by Scene to open the Scenes dialog box.
3. Select the scan method from the Scan Method list. MPEG files can only be scanned using the differences in the frame content.
4. Click Scan to start detecting scenes in the video. All detected scenes are displayed in the Detected scenes list.
Tip: Click Reset to remove all the detected scenes from the Detected scenes list.
5. Select the scenes you want to add to the Library.
6. Click OK. All selected scenes will be automatically added to the Video Library.
Join and Split Options
The Scenes dialog box allows you to merge adjoining clips as one, and/or split joined scenes. This dialog box displays the various scenes in your video clip with a numerical label assigned to each detected scene. This label represents the sequence of appearance of the scenes in your video clip.
To join two scenes:
1. Select two consecutive scenes (1 and 2) from the list of detected scenes.
2. Between the two selected clips, highlight the second selection.
3. Click Join.
These two scenes will now be merged as one. Notice that scene #2 is not in the list of scenes anymore. Scene #1 is now composed of two scenes and its duration is longer. Repeat the process to join other scenes.
Tip: To split scenes, select the merged scene then click Split."
Rename the VOB file to MPEG sometimes will not work if your original DVD has CSS protection in it.
Thanks for taking the time to give me all the "Split by Scene" info.
Yes I am aware of the option to scan for scene changes and split them - which I didnt use in this case. The splits were imposed by the software. And these imposed splits are separate TITLES so they cannot be joined.
Thanks for the info re the CSS - thats useful to know. Fortunately as they are my own discs - created on my set top recorder (Pioneer DVR-5100) this shouldnt be a problem.
Standalone DVD Recorders can be setup to put chapter marks every "x" minutes -- check your recorder's settings to see if it's doing that (without you knowing). one way to find out is to play the original DVD, and hit the "next" button to see if it jumps to another part of your video (note the time it jumps to).
Another thing might be that each .vob is probably limited to 1gb on your DVD-R -- so maybe that's where the import is splitting up into separate titles (at each 1gb .vob)?
Thanks! Youre a star - thats it - you're right. The breaks occur at the 1Gb limit. Doh! Why didnt I see that!
Although it is a single chapter - it is split into 3 x 1Gb and 1 x 974Mb blocks.
Each 1Gb block lasts approx 18mins (at the current bit rate). Now I wonder... if I create my own chapter marks and limit each chapter to be less than 18mins will this stop the break occuring? Or will my set top recorder still create 1Gb blocks and split at that point? Guess it would. Do you know?
When I first got my recorder (almost a year ago) I found out it was auto marking every 10mins which I didnt want and since then have turned it off.
I've had this same problem (splitting what I wanted as one long title into chapters) with MF3. I just posted more or less the same question before reading this post.
My frustration stems from something slightly different, but causes the same problem.
My standalone recorder (Sony GX7) records -R discs (but not +rws) strangley, in that the .VOB files it creates are non standard, so some "fixes" wouldn't work - turning off chapter marks didn't make any difference.
A simple fix to your problem would be via a free program called DVD decrypter.
Rip the Disc you want to Author with it, in IFO mode, and tell it not to split the output files. You will end up with one big .VOB file which is your whole DVD. Rename the extension from .VOB to .MPG, and "import from file" in DVD WS. It is as quick or quicker than the internal Ulead disc-import operation, and will more than likely (unless your pioneer does the funky stuff my Sony does...) solve your problem.
Alternatively, an inexpensive authoring program called TMPgenc DVD Author (or "TDA") has a great "import from disc" function. It will read the disc and import with chapter stops, or without - your choice via checkbox before it starts.
At $68, it may be worth it just for the ripper in it. It creates an .MPG file wherever you want it to go, and just import that into DVD WS like the other example abouve.
One of these two solutions should most definitaly solve your problem.
Why? Is there a way to stop this? I want to set my own title and chapter breaks where they are appropriate.
Why didnt I see that! 
